Wolfgang Wazart Essays - Mozart Family, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Wolfgang Wazart Essays - Mozart Family, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Wazart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg in Austria, the son of Leopold, Kapellmeister to the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg. By the age of three he could play the piano, and he was composing by the time he was five; minuets from this period show remarkable understanding of form. Mozart's elder sister Maria Anna (best known as Nannerl) was also a gifted keyboard player, and in 1762 their father took the two prodigies on a short performing tour, of the courts at Vienna and Munich. Encouraged by their reception, they embarked the next year on a longer tour, including two weeks at Versailles, where the children enchanted Louis XV. In 1764 they arrived in London. Here Mozart wrote his first three symphonies, under the influence of Johann Christian Bach, youngest son of Johann Sebastian, who lived in the city. After their return to Salzburg there followed three trips to Italy between 1769 and 1773. In Rome Mozart heard a performance of Allegri's Misere; the score of this work was closely guarded, but Mozart managed to transcribe the music almost perfectly from memory. On Mozart's first visit to Milan, his opera Mitridate, r di Ponto was successfully produced, followed on a subsequent visit by Lucia Silla. The latter showed signs of the rich, full orchestration that characterizes his later operas. A trip to Vienna in 1773 failed to produce the court appointment that both Mozart and his father wished for him, but did introduce Mozart to the influence of Haydn, whose Sturm und Drang string quartets (Opus 20) had recently been published. The influence is clear in Mozart's six string quartets, K168-173, and in his Symphony in G minor, K183. Another trip in search of patronage ended less happily. Accompanied by his mother, Mozart left Salzburg in 1777, travelling through Mannheim to Paris. But in July 1778 his mother died. Nor was the trip a professional success: no longer able to pass for a prodigy, Mozart's reception there was muted and hopes of a job came nothing. Back in Salzburg Mozart worked for two years as a church organist for the new archbishop. His employer was less kindly disposed to the Mozart family than his predecessor had been, but the composer nonetheless produced some of his earliest masterpieces. The famous Sinfonia concertante for violin, violo and orchestra was written in 1780, and the following year Mozart's first great stage work, the opera Idomeneo, was produced in Munich, where Mozart also wrote his Serenade for 13 wind instruments, K361. On his return from Munich, however, the hostility brewing between him and the archbishop came to a head, and Mozart resigned. On delivering his resignation he was verbally abused and eventually, physically ejected from the archbishop's residence. Without patronage, Mozart was forced to confront the perils of a freelance existence. Initially his efforts met with some success. He took up residence in Vienna and in 1782 his opera Die Entfhrung aus dem Serail (The abdication from the Seraglio) was produced in the city and rapturously received. The same year in Vienna's St Stephen's Cathedral Mozart married Constanze Weber. Soon afterwards he initiated a series of subscription concerts at which he performed his piano concertos and improvised at the keyboard. Most of Mozart's great piano concertos were written for these concerts, including those in C, K467, A, K488 and C minor, K491. In these concertos Mozart brought to the genre a unity and diversity it had not had before, combining bold symphonic richness with passages of subtle delicacy. In 1758 Mozart dedicated to Haydn the six string quartets that now bear Haydn's name. Including in this group are the quartets known as the Hunt, which make use of hunting calls, and the Dissonance, which opens with an eerie succession of dissonant chords. Overwhelmed by their quality, Haydn confessed to Leopold Mozart, 'Before God and as an honest man I tell you that your son is the greatest composer known to me either in person or by name.' The pieces are matched in excellence in Mozart's chamber music output only by his String Quintets, outstanding among which are those in C, K515, G minor, K516 and D, K593. Also in 178 Mozart and Lorenzo da Ponte collaborated on the first of a series of operatic masterpieces. Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) was begun that year and performed in 1786 to an enthusiastic audience in Vienna and even greater acclaim later in Prague. In 1787 Pragues National Theatre saw the premiere of Don Giovanni, a moralizing version of the Don Juan legend in which the licentious nobleman receives his comeuppance and descends into the fiery regions

Path Analysis -- What it Is and How to Use It

Path Analysis What it Is and How to Use It Path analysis is a form of multiple regression statistical analysis that is used to evaluate causal models by examining the relationships between a dependent variable and two or more independent variables. By using this method, one can estimate both the magnitude and significance of causal connections between variables. Key Takeaways: Path Analysis By conducting a path analysis, researchers can better understand the causal relationships between different variables.To begin, researchers draw a diagram that serves as a visual representation of the relationship between variables.Next, researchers use a statistical software program (such as SPSS or STATA) to compare their predictions to the actual relationship between the variables. Overview Path analysis is theoretically useful because, unlike other techniques, it forces us to specify relationships among all of the independent variables. This results in a model showing causal mechanisms through which independent variables produce both direct and indirect effects on a dependent variable. Path analysis was developed by Sewall Wright, a geneticist, in 1918. Over time the method has been adopted in other physical sciences and social sciences, including sociology. Today one can conduct path analysis with statistical programs including SPSS and STATA, among others. The method is also known as  causal modeling, analysis of covariance structures, and latent variable models. Prerequisites for Conducting a Path Analysis There are two main requirements for path analysis: All causal relationships between variables must go in one direction only (you cannot have a pair of variables that cause each other)The variables must have a clear time-ordering since one variable cannot be said to cause another unless it precedes it in time. How to Use Path Analysis Typically path analysis involves the construction of a path diagram in which the relationships between all variables and the causal direction between them are specifically laid out. When conducting a path analysis, one might first construct an input path diagram, which illustrates the hypothesized relationships. In a path diagram, researchers use arrows to show how different variables relate to each other. An arrow pointing from, say, Variable A to Variable B, shows that Variable A is hypothesized to influence Variable B. After the statistical analysis has been completed, a researcher would then construct an output path diagram, which illustrates the relationships as they actually exist, according to the analysis conducted. If the researcher’s hypothesis is correct, the input path diagram and output path diagram will show the same relationships between variables. Examples of Path Analysis in Research Lets consider an example in which path analysis might be useful. Say you hypothesize that age has a direct effect on job satisfaction, and you hypothesize that it has a positive effect, such that the older one is, the more satisfied one will be with their job. A good researcher will realize that there are certainly other independent variables that also influence our dependent variable of job satisfaction: for example, autonomy and income, among others. Using path analysis, a researcher can create a diagram that charts the relationships between the variables. The diagram would show a link between age and autonomy (because typically the older one is, the greater degree of autonomy they will have), and between age and income (again, there tends to be a positive relationship between the two). Then, the diagram should also show the relationships between these two sets of variables and the dependent variable: job satisfaction. After using a statistical program to evaluate these relationships, one can then redraw the diagram to indicate the magnitude and significance of the relationships. For example, the researcher might find that both autonomy and income are related to job satisfaction, that one of these two variables has a much stronger link to job satisfaction than the other, or that neither variable has a significant link to job satisfaction. Strengths and Limitations of Path Analysis While path analysis is useful for evaluating causal hypotheses, this method cannot determine the  direction  of causality. It clarifies correlation and indicates the strength of a causal hypothesis, but does not prove direction of causation. In order to fully understand the direction of causality, researchers can consider conducting experimental studies in which participants are randomly assigned to a treatment and control group. Additional Resources Students wishing to learn more about path analysis and how to conduct it can refer to  the University of Exeter’s overview of Path Analysis and  Quantitative Data Analysis for Social Scientists  by Bryman and Cramer. Updated by Nicki Lisa Cole, Ph.D.

I want an A Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

I want an A - Essay Example Respect is crucial in the relationships that people form since it will help them treat each other in proper ways. I think that sleeping in corridors does not show a respect to people. University is not a place for sleeping but rather it is a place for students to read and learn from their professors and their fellow students. It is wrong to sleep while some students are looking for place to study in their break time.Lastweek on Tuesday I came to north classrooms 2 hours before my class because I wanted to study, I could not find a place to study because of those students who sleep. They had filled all the spots that students use to study and I could not get a place to study. In my opinion, I think it is rude to sleep on the school corridors or any other place that is not designated for sleeping, and this scenario needs to be corrected. As students, we have to pay attention to our professors so that we can understand and learn from what they teach us. This in return guarantees good grades since the students will grasp everything the professors teach. However, some students have made listening a problem by engaging in activities such as eating food with strong smell in class. This makes other students not to be attentive in class since the strong smells reduce the levels of attention. Smell from food distracts the focus that students have hence they are not able to get what the professors teach. Since the university gives students a fifteen minutes break, rather than eating food in class, students should utilize this time to eat the food they carried to school. This will play a significant role in improving the attentiveness of students hence this will improve student’s grades. People should wear descent clothes in public places so that they are able to relate to other people and be treated with respect. Wearing sleepwear to school shows some levels of carelessness and

Home Depot and Lowes Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Home Depot and Lowes - Case Study Example They were initially set up as a local hardware store but it turned out to be a nationwide chain of home improvement stores. They serve to all the needs for complete home improvements like products from bathrooms to the storage rooms and paints to safes. Lowes store has approximately 216, 000 employees all over its stores. Home Depot was started in the year 1978 and is operating currently in all 50 states of United States. They were initially a warehouse and then turned out as one of the America's best home improvement retailers providing products from appliances to hard wares. They have approximately 209, 300 employees working with them through out their stores. Both these organizations provide all the home improvement products under one roof. Lowes and Home Depot have their own websites for the customers to browse through and purchase products. They offer variety of facilities as an online shop. In the recent decade online shopping has become on of the most comfortable and preferred was of buying goods and services. The E-commerce times (2005) stated "Online shopping has increased over last year because both new and experienced Internet buyers are not only researching products and comparing prices online before making a purchase, but they are also finding good holiday discounts online," said Heather Dougherty, senior retail analyst, Nielsen//Net Ratings. It is important to keep the information and the content interesting so that there is a high inflow of new and existing customers to the site. There are few factors that are very essential for a website. The Gantt chart below represents the important aspects of a website from the Polls result of Port 80, Australian web industry association. Good functionality 1 4.35% Site content 9 39.13% Meeting customer's expectations 3 13.04% Search engine optimization 2 8.70% Good graphic design 2 8.70% Keeping content current 1 4.35% Professional presentation 2 8.70% User friendliness 3 13.04% Security of site where apply eg credit cards, privacy 0 0% A study on the websites of the home improvement retailers Lowes and Home depot: Lowes' website: Lowes has an exclusive website, www.lowes.com. The site is simple and neat which has its name and their caption which is "Let's build something together". The focal point is the photo at the centre of the home page. The picture simply demonstrates the availability of all the home improvement products at the store. The picture has all the products required for a complete living providing a spacious atmosphere interpreting the availability of modest merchandises. The description below that states "Campus kick off", which insists on the availability of all the home improvement products with them under one roof. The first glance of the site provides idea about the products available at the store, the offers at the store, quick link to other services and the service desk. The products in the site are separated according to the departments and rooms. This helps in easy identification and selection of products. The page also helps customer choose products by the offers at the store and ther e are a lot of useful information about Lowes in the home page. The

Education Essay Example for Free

Education Essay An enabling school climate plays an important role in determining the outcome of learning experience for learners, care givers, parents or guardians as well as staff. On the other hand, a school environment that fails to foster proper relationships amongst all stakeholders in a school community can be blamed for poor performance and indiscipline that characterizes schools where there is a negative or unfavorable environment. In deed the school climate goes further than defining the academic performance since the climate in school affects not only the learners’ but also the immediate community, the staff as well as the neighboring community. This paper expounds on the various aspects of the school environment which in turn leads to deterioration of home/school relations or the improvement of the same (Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, 35). Although different scholars have advanced different meanings to the term ‘ school climate, many scholars favor the definition which views school environment as the sum total of all factors that, affect the learning process in the school as well as the interrelations amongst different players in the education process. School climate is influenced by a number of factors which include but are not limited to; the physical components of the school such as the type of classrooms and other physical structures in the school compound. For the physical components to constitute part of the school climate, such must have a direct influence on how teachers, staff, learners and parents perceive the school and therefore influences the relations between school and home. Physical facilities are also important in that, they can hinder or enhance the relationships amongst participants in the education process. Physical facilities have been known to influence how learning takes place as less unfavorable physical facilities are less likely to foster a positive learning environment (Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, 76). Indeed, where the physical facilities are not conducive to learning, this can negatively affect student ability to concentrate or even deal a blow to student’s self esteem all of which would in such a case influence the relations between the school and the home. Equally important is the social cultural factors especially those which concern diversity, most schools enroll learners from various socio-cultural background something which results into conflicts if not managed well. Where there are conflicts, it becomes very difficult for positive relations to prosper and again, this has a bearing on the school/home environment. Intolerance based on factors such as race, religion, or ideological beliefs could trigger tensions. Therefore there is a need for proper management of diversity if the school climate is going to positively contribute to positive school/home environment. The staff and even the parents all have a responsibility in creating an organizational culture that exemplifies trust and understanding amongst different stake holders with an aim of ensuring that, all members of the school community are treated equally and with the same dignity. Issues such as the use of Native American mascots during sports and which have spurred mixed reactions must be properly analyzed for their effects on the school/home relations to be understood. Where such are found to contribute in any way to negative school/home relations, there is a need for corrective measures to be taken both at he bottom line and at the decision making level so as to prevent undesirable consequences (McNeely, Nonnemaker, Blum, 67). Where students are treated favorably or discriminately because of socio-cultural background, the end result is a tension filed school/home relations and with such an environment, academic performance becomes very difficult and unrealizable. Social background largely determines the ability of the parents or guardians (home) of the learner to afford education-related services and therefore in cases whereby a school acts unreasonably in charging for education related services, this may be perceived by the parents to mean that, the school does not welcome the affected children to study or seek educational services in the school. Ensuring that, learners are satisfied and feel loved, cared for, appreciated and welcome in school also contributes to enhanced home/school relations (Loukas , Robinson, 194). How learners are treated is likely also to determine the behavior of the parents and guardians back at home as more parents and guardians are more likely to depend on feedback from their children to gauge the school climate. This in turn may influence how the parents and guardians view and relate with the school. Whereby the ‘home-side’ is not pleased with the school conduct in regard to how the latter treats learners, a standoff may result and in such circumstance, the school environment is bound to be unfriendly and un-responsive to the needs of the home. This is more likely to lead to negative school/home relations. Without efforts from both the home and school to make learners satisfied with the system, learners will most likely develop some resentment as they may conclude that, the school climate is not as supportive as they would expect. The teachers have a responsibility to show support to learners and try to align the learning goals to the expectations of the learners especially in regard to mainly the learners achieve and accomplish not only academic goals but also career goals. A positive school climate is important in the creation of working teams in the school. Team spirit is important because a school as a social institution has some common and shared goals and objectives which it must share as a community. Without collaboration and cooperation amongst members of the school community, different members are likely to function as units as opposed to collectively and therefore the chances of failure to attain desired outcomes in terms of improved school climate becomes a reality. What often is forgotten by school administrators is the fact that, learners too have expectations and in any case, needs which they aim to achieve for all their efforts in schools. A common cause of differences and problems is whereby teachers tend to treat learners as though they do not have personal needs and objectives, that is, a motivation to be in school. For a positive school environment to be realized, learners must be treated as an important party and should be accorded the necessary support in order to emerge successful and victorious. Since the main connection between the school and the home is the learner, ignoring the needs and concerns of the learner is tantamount to breaking the link between the home and the school. The school climate can also be attained through the staff and learners encouraging openness and trust building amongst learners and especially in connection with the latter’s behavior and attitudes towards the school. In the case whereby the students are in secondary level, there is usually the factor of their emotional status occasioned by growth and development which influences how the learners view the staff and other members of the school community. As the Center on Families, Communities, Schools, and Childrens Learning, (21) observes, school climate is important in connecting learners activities to school mission, (Felner, Favazza, Shim, Brand, Gu, Shim, 124), adds that, school climate is not easily noticeable as it is usually invisible and only the effects can be recognized. Whenever learners and the rest of the school’s staff demonstrate positive behavior in terms of values, the school climate is said to be enabling and every school community member is able to function normally. Tableman (98) mentions safety as very important in determining the kind of school climate present in any given school. So as to achieve an enabling school climate, there is a need for measures to be put in place in order to ensure that, all precautionary measures are taken in terms of adhering to guidelines stipulated in safety guidelines for schools. Therefore through enhancement of school safety precautions, the school climate is enhanced and this is important in maintaining of good school/home relations. Enhancing the school climate also calls for improved interpersonal relations and as stipulated earlier, there is a need for the school administrators to be well trained in terms of dealing with conflicts and conflict resolution strategies (Comer, Haynes, 87). The administration of schools must rise to a level whereby conflicts are viewed as opportunities to embrace diversity of ideas and opinions and an opportunity to involve everyone in the decision making process. A school which involves both learners and parents in the decision making process is more likely to prosper than a school which leaves the rest of the school community in the dark when making decisions which impact on every stakeholder (Tarter, Sabo, Hoy, 109). Although every member of the school community has a responsibility to ensure success and of a positive school climate, no one is more central to this process than the school administration because they are the policy makers and also play a decisive role in the implementation of policies (Tarter, Sabo, Hoy, 78). Continuous improvement through inititiation of change is very crucial in the realization of a positive school climate. No system is perfect and even for schools with the best structures in place, there are usually challenges and problems which have to be dealt with continually as it is not usually possible to achieve perfect systems over night. Therefore how the organization receives change usually determines the success or failure of the change process. The stakeholders must be able and willing to adapt to various situations so as to allow every one to fit into the system and function in unity. Equally important to the realization of success is the commitment of all in all efforts geared towards an improved school environment. Without dedication and the pooling of resources, the change effort still remains elusive and not easy to achieve. Therefore, schools must nurture all its members so that, the synergetic effect may be realized and an enabling school environment attained. Equally important is the carrying out of a needs assessment which serves to identify barriers to positive school environment as well as the pointing out of areas of concern needing urgent attention. Without proper guidance and leadership from the administration a school climate worthy emulating may be unrealistic, indeed, the leadership offered in any given organization determines the success of the change initiatives and in some cases serves as the selling point of an organization by providing an empowering internal environment. Therefore, the quality and type of leadership may cause either a positive or negative school environment. It is therefore fundamental for the school to offer the best possible leadership as a means of enhancing the school environment (Cohen, 123). Many schools have failed to incorporate scientific methods in resolving some of the challenges they face. In deed, research studies can be used to establish causes of negative school climate for schools facing such challenges but most schools have not gone as far as carrying out research studies pointing out lack of sufficient funds. Therefore there is a need for sensitization of schools on the importance using scientific methods to better understand the school climate. Communication plays an important role in determining the school environment and therefore for any school to realize a desirable school climate, it must demonstrate ability to establish proper communication structures. Most schools have in the past failed by failing to embrace both downward ad upward communications. This amount to failing to appreciate the contribution students can make to creating of an empowering school climate (Freiberg,36). In conclusion, the fact that the students have an important role to play in promoting a positive school culture should trigger the administration to fully involve them in initiation of change by streamlining communication function in the organization. Until then, the school is likely to face problems when it comes to fostering a positive school climate.

Peer to Peer Piracy and the Film Industry Essays -- Exploratory Essays

Peer to Peer Piracy and the Film Industry Introduction Each day an estimated 400,000 films exchange hands through the Internet. Movie piracy, once reserved to pirate syndicates and illegal duplication factories, has become a common staple among college students with high-speed internet access. With advanced compression technology, movie files can be transferred across continents in hours and across campus networks in under ten minutes. File-sharing is seen as a victimless crime, but the motion picture industry is expected to lose $3.5 billion this year alone due to piracy. Pirate activities undermine every aspect of the legitimate filmmaking business since legitimate retailers cannot possibly compete fairly with pirate business. Therefore, piracy negatively affects all aspects of film-making including the studios that invest in the film, the distributors, the retailers and foreign and local filmmakers. Economic Impact Intellectual property (TV programs, movies, etc†¦) is an incredible source of growth for the American economy. Intellectual property is not only America’s largest trade export, but it is creating new jobs at triple the rate of the rest of the economy, and is responsible for more than five percent of the GDP. The movie industry alone has a surplus balance of trade, something no other American company can lay claim to. Moviemaking is a risky business, for it is not always profitable. Only one in ten films ever recovers its initial investment from theatrical exhibition. In fact, four out of ten movies never recoup the original investment. In 2000, the average studio film cost had a total cost of over $80 million per film. No other industry in the world risks that much capital to make, finance, produce ... ...ue entertainment in a lawful environment. The attitude of entitlement that many internet users exhibit with regard to internet piracy must stop. The movie industry will not suffer the pillaging that has been inflicted on the music industry by casual pirates. New efforts to prevent piracy are currently being undertaken and they include research to new technologies to prevent piracy and copying, strengthening laws to inflict harsher penalties for copyright infringement, and educating the public about why copyright protection is imperative to economic growth and the negative effects that file-sharing has on the American consumer. Works Cited Valenti, Jack. Thoughts on the Digital Future of Movies, The Threat of Piracy, The Hope of Redemption. Motion Picture Association of American Press Release. 30 Sep. 2003

Teen Drinking

Teen drinking is a serious problem and each year the statistics go higher and higher and more and more teens are drinking. This is a safety issue for teens are not old enough to know how to control their drinking. In an article I read called, â€Å"let my teenager drink†, written by T. R. Reid, suggests that it’s okay to let our teens drink. On the opposed side, Author Joseph A. Califano writes in his article that it is not okay to allow teens to drink. Reid does make some good points in his article.He believes that it is safer for our teens to be allowed to drink. He brought up binge drinking and how bad it is for teens. He says, â€Å"the only reason for this binge drinking is because teens are not allowed to drink so they do it secretly, most often in unsafe places like a car, or a house where adult supervision is not present†(REID). Reid claims that if we let our teens legally drink then teens can be safer and be able to drink throughout the evening instead o f getting drunk in the short amount of time they have before a social event.He believes teenagers are going to drink no matter what law is put in place, and that we should all just allow teens to legally drink. Author and current president of the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, Joseph A. Califano suggests the first article is a dangerous opinion to go by. He lists straight facts on this specific issue like, â€Å"in 2001 the Justice Department released an analysis comparing drinking rates in Europe and the United States.The conclusion: American tenth graders are less likely to use and abuse alcohol that the people of the same age in almost all European countries†(CALIFANO). Califano also said how Reid was wrong about the binge drinking, since British fifteen year olds are more than twice as likely to binge drink as those of American teens. He also lists the dangers of teen drinking. Califano says it can seriously damage the growth proc ess of the brain, and how teen drinking can lead to poor school performance.My opinion on this issue is teens should not be allowed to drink yet. I believe the drinking age should stay at twenty one. That is when a person is mature and developed enough to drink alcohol. There is a good reason why there are age limits on things. Rules and laws are made for good reasons, to keep us safe. I would not want to live in a country where there were no age limits on drinking, for I believe we Americans would get dumber than we already are.

Assess the view that we are now living in a secular society Essay

Secularization is described by Bryan Wilson as, ‘the process whereby religious thinking, practice and institutions lose social significance’. Contemporary sociologists argue that society is becoming more secular due to science and rationality, the decline of traditional values and the specialized division of labour. This appears to be confirmed by statistics, who claim that church attendance has fallen from 1,200,000 in 1980 to 850,000 in 2001. However, David Barrett has documented the emergence of some 6,300 New Religious Movements since the 1960s and the number of UK Muslims has increased from 40,000 to 1,400,000 which suggest that religion is developing to meet the needs of people in a modern society rather than decreasing altogether. On an international level Gilles Kepel states that there is little evidence of a general trend towards secularization and that in fact there is much evidence, such as the popularity of the Christian New Right in the US, Islamatization movements in Algeria and the Jewish political group Lubavitch in Israel, to suggest a religious revival. Item A agrees with the views of Gilles Kepel and is critical of the secularization thesis. It cites the popularity of churchgoing in the USA (40% of US adults attend church on a Sunday compared to 10% in England), New Age Movements in Western Europe, the growth in fundamentalist movements and the evangelical revival in Latin America as examples of ‘religious health and vitality’. It also mentions the ‘upsurge of ethno-religious conflict in international affairs’, with all recent conflicts such as the Jews and Arabs in the Middle East, the Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland and the Muslims, Serbs and Croats in Bosnia all being based on religion. Islamic terrorism has also ensured that religion is consistently at the forefront of current affairs. However, many sociologists have found that religion is incompatible with modern society. Weber predicted desacrilization in his idea of disenchantment, whereby magic and myth would be less important in modern society. Bryan Wilson felt that the rational organisation of society and greater knowledge of the social and physical world have encouraged the development of a rational view, and that due to this religion is difficult to accept as it cannot be quantified, tested or proven. Steve Bruce agreed, claiming that scientific beliefs undermine religion and that technological advances reduce the number of things that need to be explained in religious terms. Bruce also claims that religion has become less important in society as the majority of its previous functions, such as education, health, social welfare and social control have been taken over by other, non-religious, institutions. Bryan Wilson partially supports this view in terms of the loss of the social welfare and control functions, stating that due to societalization the church is no longer a focal point, people no longer rely upon the local priest for advice and cannot decide what to believe due to cultural diversity. David Matin blames disengagement for society allegedly becoming more secular, saying that the wealth, influence and prestige of the church has declined, it is no longer a major employer (one in thirty adults were employed by the church in previous times) and its ideological power has decreased. Functionalist Talcott Parsons disagrees, arguing that although the church may have lost its functions and become disengaged from the state and politics, religion can still be significant in everyday life and encourages shared values in society. However, Bruce did admit that religion is still used as a last resort when all rational and scientific options have been exhausted, stating that, ‘when we have tried every cure for cancer, we pray†¦ ‘. Postmodernists suggest that society has begun to move beyond the scientific rationality of modernity as they have started to mistrust science, due to its failures and negative effects such as disease and global warming. This suggests that the society we are living in is not secular, and will not become so. However, it is difficult to determine the extent to which society has become more secular. Although statistics suggest that this is the case, with church attendance decreasing from 40% in 1850 to 8% in 2000 and the amount of Christians in the world decreasing by one million between 1970 and 2005, they are unreliable. For example, church attendance is measured in different ways (varying from telephone polls to counting the amount of cars in car parks) and churches have motives to over or underestimate the congregation (for example, the Roman Catholic Church reduce their number to lessen capitation fees). Furthermore, different sociologists have different meanings for the concepts of religiosity and secularization, with those defining religion in terms of the structure and content of people’s beliefs (substantive definitions) being more likely to agree to the secularization thesis that those who consider the functions performed by religion for individuals and society (functional definitions). Glock and Stark believe that in order to measure the degree of religiosity in society (essential for determining whether or not society is secular) the five dimensions of religion must be applied. These are the essential beliefs of society, the acts of worship and ritual, the substantive feelings of being associated with a higher power or being, the depth of understanding of religious teachings and beliefs and the impact of being religious on daily activities. However, these dimensions further illustrate the difficulties of measuring religiosity, such as what needs to be taken into account, whether religion has to satisfy all of these dimensions, and which is the most important. To conclude, the secularization process cannot be proved or disproved, with the term ‘secularization’ being used in many different ways by sociologists. As Glock and Stark pointed out, as we have not adequately defined religion or religiosity, one cannot accurately test the secularization thesis and many sociologists also agree that religion varies according to national, regional, ethnic and class differences and so it is difficult to relate the secularization thesis to the whole of society. Therefore how secular contemporary society has become cannot be determined. However, society is not entirely secular, and with the emergence of New Religious Movements and New Age Movements religion appears to be developing and changing rather than declining altogether.

The eNotes Blog Watch the Worlds Longest Book DominoChain

Watch the Worlds Longest Book DominoChain Last month the public library of very own hometown, Seattle, broke the world record for the worlds longest book domino chain. Check it out! It took twenty-seven volunteers, seven hours, and five attempts in all, but on May 31st at approximately 11pm the Seattle Public Library successfully toppled 2,131 books, domino style. The awesome number of books used allowed the library staff to get creative with the pathway, too, as books climbed ramps, scaled stairs, and at one point spilled across the floor to spell READ in giant letters. The books truly seem to have a life of their own  as they bypass scenes like a couple sharing a picnic and a woman reading on the beach. In truth, these books were actually given a second life, as all of them had been retired and donated to the library. Now that theyve had their moment in the spotlight, though, all should find a new home, thanks to the librarys ingenious way of getting the books back out there for public consumption: Books used in the record-setting event can be purchased at upcoming Friends of The Seattle Public Library book sales. Each book will have a special sticker identifying that it helped set the book domino world record, as well as the Web address so the book buyer can watch the video. Hopefully this attention-grabbing kickoff to the Seattle Public Librarys summer reading program will have a domino effect on the popularity of reading worldwide. Kudos to the two college students who masterminded the entire event:  Laura DAsaro and  Luke Greenway of Harvard University and Middlebury College.

Top Five Tips on Revising Essays

Top Five Tips on Revising Essays Top Five Tips on Revising Essays Since it is important to rewrite and revise your work, there are several stages required to work your way toward perfection. Below are suggestions and techniques to use when rewriting and revising your work. #1 The Whole Paper Examine the entire essay to determine if it has made its point to the audience and has conveyed the desired message. Try to look at your paper from the reader’s point of view. A few quick checks: Make sure your paper is spaced according to instructions Share the essay with someone who unfamiliar with the topic and get feedback Do additional, needed research If necessary, save the strong paragraphs in a separate file and start over #2 Paragraph Revisions After that first stage, ensure your essay is well organized and each paragraph communicates its intended message. Make the essay cohesive and each paragraph consistent with its topic or subheading. #3 Sentence Construction Double-check sentence constructions. Before handing in an essay, an author must check spelling and correct grammatical errors: Sentences should remind the reader of the essay’s theme Sentences vary in length Edit too-long or run-on sentences Correct any language (grammatical) errors Run a spell check on your essay and check for missing words Capitalization and correct citation are also priorities If you need assistance with essay writing, professional knowledge and expertise can come in handy. At , we deliver custom well-researched essays and help with what you’ve already written. Contact us with your questions at 1-800-573-0840 or email: sales@masterwriter.ca.

Shaping the foundation of racial independence through social Assignment

Shaping the foundation of racial independence through social revolution - Assignment Example This essay discusses that for hundreds of years, blacks and other minority races were considered as little more than speaking animals to the elite aristocracy, unable to be in the ranks of polite or civilized society, not allowed to seek education, and certainly not allowed to hold important or political offices. The racial inequality in this standardized caste system is such that it hinders social evolution as a whole by accepting as custom that people of a different skin color hold less value than those of white descent. With that said, a close look will be taken into the social revolution that sparked racial equality during the War of Independence between 1808 and 1824 in Spanish America to illustrate the role of minorities and the significant power they attained by refusing to further be defined by the color of their skin. There are at least three leading arguments proposed by George Reid Andrew, John Lynch, and Marixa Lasso that expound upon how the minority races took strides i n shaping the revolutionary efforts for racial equality by abolishing the caste system as well as illustrating how the elite reacted to the activism and consequent construction of the newly defined nation-states. To begin with, George Reid Andrew’s Afro-Latin America entitled â€Å"Our New Citizens, the Blacks: The Politics of Freedom, 1810-1890,† notes that â€Å"at the same time that the slaves were using the openings created by the independence wars to pursue freedom and emancipation, free blacks and mulattoes were capitalizing on wartime conditions to strike down the colonial racial laws.† 1.† Andrew makes an important distinction in his discourse of the minority groups as he defines the separation also felt by the slaves and the free blacks and mulattoes in that even in a minority situation where camaraderie would have ensured political success, still the priorities differed. Even though they shared an ethnicity and were similarly oppressed within the caste system, still they fought the same battle separately. Luckily, this dissention didn’t hinder the social revolution because as â€Å"nineteenth-century jurist Peridigao Malheiro described slavery [was] ‘a volcano†¦a bomb ready to explode with the first spark,’ and slave rebellion was most likely, he noted, during periods when the free population was divided by internal disputes and conflict2.† In this, the minorities held power they might not even have known to exist because the caste system was ready for collapse; it was only a matter of time. Essentially, the caste system in Spanish America was one dictated from birth and based purely upon the color of one’s skin. This meant that no one could ever move above their caste (unless they were a woman and lucky enough to marry a man of lighter skin tone), and that those in the elite levels held ultimate control over society because they were granted certain inalienable assets and power. In pe rhaps the most poignant definition of the inherent impact the caste system held over those in the lower castes, Andrew cites a satirical poem from a newspaper in Rio de Janeiro â€Å"about a planter’s efforts to hire newly freed libertos to work on his plantation3.† In the poem, â€Å"the writer leaves no doubt of the damage done to these former slaves by slavery: the liberto’s crippled condition, his shortness of breath4,† and finally, his refusal to be defined by the color of his skin when being directly referred to as ‘black.’ In comparison, in an excerpt from John Lynch’s The Spanish American Revolutions 1808-1826 entitled â€Å"Revolution in the Rio de la Plata,† Lynch highlights that, pressed by economic expansion and cracks within the current aristocratic mores, revolutionaries made decisive militant advances and found leadership under Pedro Domingo Murillo and Jose Antonio Medina. The minorities created an official annou ncement that â€Å"now [was] the time to organize a new system of government, founded upon the interests of our country which is